Radio transceivers for facilitating point-to-point communications are well known. Such radio transceivers make comprise either hand held transceivers, i.e., walkie talkies, or base station transceivers which are typically larger and more powerful than the hand held transceivers.
As those skilled in the art will appreciate, contemporary radio transceivers operate within a predetermined band of frequencies so as to effect radio transmission and reception.
One such band commonly used in point-to-point radio communications is the 2,400-2,488.35 MHz radio band. However, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, this band is subject to overuse, such that undesirable interference between signals frequently occurs. As such it is desirable to provide means for converting radio signals normally transmitted in the 2,400-2,488.35 MHz band so that they may be transmitted in another, less crowded radio band. One such less crowded radio band is the 5,725-5,850 MHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band.
It would further be desirable to provide means for easily re-configuring an existing hand-held or base station transceiver for use in the 5,725-5,850 MHz (ISM) band which does not involve extensive or difficult modification of the transceiver. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that radio transceivers may be modified so as to change or extend the operational frequency band thereof by changing or adding crystals and/or by the tuning local oscillators etc. However, such contemporary methods for changing or extending the operational band of a radio transceiver are comparatively difficult to perform, require technical expertise, and are expensive. Furthermore, such contemporary methods for changing the band of a radio transceiver do not readily accommodate changing back to the original band thereof. That is, any process performed to change the band of a radio transceiver according to contemporary methodology must be reversed, so as to allow the radio transceiver to operate in the original band thereof. That is, any crystals which were changed so as to accommodate the new frequency band must be replaced with the original crystals and/or any local oscillators which have been re-tuned must be tuned again to the original frequency thereof.
In view of the forgoing, it would be desirable to provide a means for rapidly and easily changing the operating frequency of a transceiver, particularly wherein such means may be easily bypassed to as to operate the transceiver at the original frequency thereof, when desired.